Is It Okay For A Hunter To Give Up On The Hunt?
by Hunter Must Hunt
Summary: After defeating the moon presence the hunter comes across a new chalice he has never seen before. Deciding to continue the hunt he finds himself in a new world with beasts a plenty and Gods. Whats a hunter to do but hunt! Or is the more to a life outside slaying beasts?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – The Hunt Must Go On!

Tranquility.

A strange word to rattle around his head, he couldn't remember the last time he had been acquainted with peace. The blood-soaked man allowed himself to sit among the sea of flowers that littered the graveyard of the hunters that had went before him. He rested his back up against the creature he had slaughtered. A great one that had descended from the moon to the hunter's dream.

He let out a long breath, his body began to relax, for once he hadn't another objective, another beast to hunt down, for once he could simply rest properly. It had been so long since he had done something so simple, so very long that he didn't even know just how much time had passed during the long night. Was it days? Weeks? Months? Everything just seemed to meld together. He could barely remember anything else, it felt like his whole life had been lived during this one hunt.

His eyes glazed over the scythe that lay plunged into the ground, the weapon of Gerham, a man who had guided him when he entered the dream. He had been a tough one to put down, but he made sure that the first hunter had found rest. He held no real fondness for the man, weather that came from the experiences during his hunt in Yharnam, or the simple fact that they barley talked, he didn't know and quite frankly didn't care. The man had been more beast that human when he took its life.

He slowly pulled himself to his feet and wandered over to the scythe absent mindedly. His bloodied hands griped the wooden shaft of it. Pulling it out of the soil beneath his feet with no real effort on his part. A powerful weapon, one to kill those turned rabid.

He transformed the weapon into its smaller state, making it now appear as a rather large blade, he strapped the weapon to his back, it was second nature to him at this point to simply pick up what he needed to kill. He decided he had spent long enough on this battlefield; he would need to find out what happened next.

The hunter began to make his way to the doll, perhaps it would have some idea of what to do now. However, before he could complete his short journey to where said doll, he stumbled to his knees.

Something was wrong, he could feel it inside the him, something was changing. He let out a sharp grunt, he couldn't remember the last time he felt pain this strong. He had grown used to the injuries the beasts would inflict upon him, the various deaths he received at their hands had made him numb to pain. But what he was experiencing currently was on a whole new level.

He could feel a new power coursing through him, a power he was familiar with, a power he had fought against with all his might. His body was transforming, much like the weapons hunters use as tools to hunt those who had fallen from humanity to that of beast hood.

He couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped from his throat, it was foreign to him, when was the last time he had laughed? He couldn't remember, but he simply couldn't help it. The whole situation was ironic, he was becoming a Great One.

There was no escaping it, he could feel it within. So, this was his faith. To become something he had so adamantly tried to destroy. His human eyes began to take in all that was around him, before he fully turned. The workshop was no longer aflame, it stood strong in the darkness that surround the dream. The doll simply stood at the bottom of the steps, looking at him with that expressionless face, not that he would expect anything more from it, only so much a doll can do.

The hunter gave a quick glance of the graveyards that surrounded the workshop and was ready to resign himself to what would befall him. Yet something caught his attention. Something that he knew shouldn't be there. A new chalice stood among the others he had explored, it looked alien in design, with a language he had never seen before.

Had he not butchered all the beasts the night had to offer, had he missed one dungeon where those horrible creatures could feel safe from the wrath of a hunter?

NO!

He was not finished with this body yet. The hunter agonizingly forced himself to his feet, taking one step after another, fighting against the transformation in his body, he would fight it until the chalice was clear of all beasts. It was his mission, it was his duty, it was all he truly knew.

He reached out towards the immaculate chalice, allowing it to take it to its dungeon. Slowly his vision began to fog over as the process to the dungeon took place.

**\- Is it okay for a Hunter to give up on the Hunt? -**

His senses came back to him at an eerie pace, though this dungeon he had entered into was very different to the ones he had previously explored. Instead of the dark and miserable surroundings he was accustom to, he found himself in a cave, which seemed to be overrun by greenery and exotic plants he had never layer eyes on.

The atmosphere was entirely different, it wasn't the dread and fear that had smothered Yharnam and the chalices dungeons. This cave felt almost relaxing and it was unnerving him more than he would like to admit.

One thing that he was grateful for however, was that his body was no longer trying to desperately transform. He could still feel the omnipotent power of a Great One flowing through his veins, but it almost felt like it was being held back, not being fit to release itself from his body. Though this led to many questions as to why.

Perhaps this dungeon held some sort of power that restricts the force of a Great One. He didn't care that much though; he was just revealed that the pain had stopped.

An assortment of unpleasant sounds came from all around him. Taking a good look at his surroundings, he could clearly see beasts, though they were different from those he had hunted in Yharnam. These creatures looked insect in design, scorpion? He had never seen the creatures before but they looked just like they were described. Who had told him that was beyond what his memory could recall?

He readied himself, drawing his trusty saw cleaver as well as his blunderbuss. These beasts would meet their gruesome end here and now.

After all, a hunter must hunt!

**\- Is it okay for a Hunter to give up on the Hunt? -**

Fear.

A shiver went down her spine, Gods weren't ones to experience fear. That's what Odin once said, that may have been right when they had access to their divine powers, right now she was absolutely terrified. Returning to the old ruins of her worship, where that monster Anatres lurks.

She had felt it awaken; she had expected it to be dormant for eternity, how foolish she was to simply think her godly seal would hold such a monstrosity. Her children where accompanying her, the planned to bring an end to the beast. She could feel an ache on her heart, she knew some would not survive, all their lives where on the line here.

Though the sacrifice would be great, they couldn't allow that monster to escape and wreak havoc on those who inhabit the surface.

She could see the ruins coming into view, the place that had once been built to worship her, now a nest for wicked creatures.

"Goddess! Is that smoke?" It came from her captain Rethusa, a red-haired woman at the high level of 5. She wore no armor, wearing a simple set of clothing that allowed for high mobility. She had expected her children's nerves to kick up at some point, perhaps even to the point of letting their imagination get the better of them, but upon closer inspection she could see the black clouds of smoke pouring into the air.

Something is wrong! "We must hurry!" She felt slightly pitiful as she broke out into a sprint, she knew compared to those she had made a contract with to create her Familia that she was slow, it was a simple fact that adventures could go beyond the power of normal mortals. She was a hindrance, but she needed to see an end to Anatres.

But what could cause such a vast amount of smoke to spew from the temple filled with beasts, it didn't make sense. She knew what the creatures within were capable of, nothing that would amass to this degree of smoke.

It didn't take long for them to reach the main entrance; the air was thick and heavy. While the scent of smoke was strong, there was a lingering stench of blood. She couldn't hide the shock that flooded her system. Anatres had not bested her seal. Something else had awoken it! It didn't make sense, there was no way to entire the ruins with the seal still in place, only a god with more divine power than her could hope to get in.

She began to tremble; it was beyond her control. She had been wrong when she thought she felt fear beforehand, an unholy dread was beginning to suffocate her. They had to retreat; something was in here that was beyond that of the divine. It was inconceivable, something like that simply shouldn't exist.

A firm hand placed itself onto her shoulder, her frightened eyes fell upon the steel resolve of Rethusa's eyes. "My Goddess, are you ok?" Her voice was confident, yet held a tinge of worry, if it had been any other day, it would have calmed her to hear the sheer readiness of her child. Though it gave her a good wakeup call for her.

She composed herself, whatever had made its way into what was once her sanctuary would have to be dealt with. If it had made its way in, it could make its ways out, they at least had to determine what it was. "Get ready my children, we might be in for an unexpected surprise."

She could feel them tense up at her words, they knew something was right, they could probably tell from her body language and from her words. This wasn't to go down as they had planned.

She gingerly placed her two hands to the door of this once holy place and began the procedure to open the ruins to their party. Her Familia symbol sprung forth to life on the door, before slowly fading away. A loud creak echoed throughout the night sky followed by a gust of extraordinary heat, and finally an orange haze.

Inside blazes burned, she could see the what little remained of the nest that had infested her old home, with the plants that used to give birth to Anatres's minions gone, it would make traversal a great deal easier. Though the fires would be a pain to make their way through.

"Vera! Make us a path!" Rethusa took command of the situation. A female elf took center stage before them, staff at the ready, her skin so pale under the moonlight as she began her incantation to allow her magic to flow from her. A bright blue symbol began brought itself into existence beneath her feet, followed by two more at the side, with a graceful thrust forward, pillars of ice shot forward.

Of course, they immediately began to melt to a liquid state and in turn they eased the fires. They now had a clear path. A scantily clad dark-skinned woman pounded her fists together. "Let's show Anatres who's boss!" Her confidence seemed to boost the morale of her Familia, she was grateful for the battle loving amazon. Leona always managed to bring out the best in her party, she always looked on the positive side of life.

The group rushed in running through the remains of a fiery bloodbath, whatever had killed these creatures had been wholehearted viscous in ending their life's. A monstrous scream could be heard from deep within, causing small tremors to spread across the old ruins. Well at least they knew where to head.

**\- Is it okay for a Hunter to give up on the Hunt? -**

The hunter slowly pulled himself out of a wall, giving himself a quick look over he could see his left arm was mangled beyond recognition, probably being covered in blood didn't help it look much better. He locked his gaze back onto the beast he had engaged in battle with.

It had once been a mighty looking creature to be feared, it was simply a larger version of the smaller creatures he had been slaughtering, though with more claws and long slender neck with a more draconic head.

Now it was limbless, struggling desperately to regrow its missing limbs as it flailed about miserably. It was a strong beast, but much like the other creatures he had found in this strange dungeon it was no real treat to him.

Though he was curious about what was truly going on. Beyond the beasts and the dungeon itself, everything was new. Instead of the bloodechos he had gathered from the beasts in Yharnam, they dropped some sort of stone, it didn't take him long to figure out that was there weak point, though these beasts really couldn't take too much of a beating. It was sad, his bloodlust was not satiated from such meager beasts.

Their numbers had been the only thing they had, so he made sure to dwindle them. He was glad he hadn't used up all his supplies while fighting Gehram and that Great One which descended from the moon, the beasts here burned good.

It was time to finish of this monster before him, he could not rest until it died, after all it was the last beast left. These rotten creatures would be cleansed from this world, they would all perish at his hands.

He decided to switch out his saw cleaver, it disappearing into a foggy substance to be replaced with the weapon of the last hunter he had killed. He would finish this beast of with the Burial Blade, it seemed like the right trick weapon to end it.

He quickly shoved the blade into its extension which resided on his back, transforming it from a fearsome blade, to that of a deadly scythe.

With a fearsome grunt he sprung forward at top speed, reaching the beast in seconds. The feeble monster lashed out blindly with its tail, it was an easy obstacle to overcome. With as much might as he could muster, he slid under the incoming tail while plunging the scythe into the beast's flesh.

One thing he could compliment the beast on was its thick hide, but it was merely an inconvenience, he simply had to put more effort into his swings. The burial blade ripped through the tail like a knife through hot butter, blood spewed out in every direction as the beast wailed in agony.

But the hunter was far from done, with speed the beast simply couldn't anticipate, he began to work his way through each of the limbs that had started to regrow, stopping them dead in their tracks. More blood painted the battle ground as the creature's screams of pain grew to a whole new level.

It tried to retaliate, its mouth with hundreds of sharp teeth pounced towards him with the intent of impaling his body. With his experienced engrained within him, it was easy to side step and unleash a fatal blow.

With one mighty swing his scythe sliced through the beast's neck, tearing through its meat and bones. The creature lay still, though he could clearly see that it was beginning to regenerate again, even if it was at a snail's pace.

He scanned what remained of the limbless body, his insight allowing him to see what he was looking for, the creature's core lay just beyond its chest, protected by its hard skin. Now it would end. Dropping his weapon, he plunged his hand into the dying beast's chest, its armored skin only offering a small amount of resistance.

He pushed his arm in there as far as it could go, tearing through muscles with ease until he grasped what he was looking for. The stone that kept these beasts alive. Fingers dug into the its core with it beginning to crack as he got a good grip of it. With a hefty grunt he began to pull, slowly but surely, he managed to remove the stone from its chest, with a torrent of blood to follow with it.

And just like all the other beasts that had fallen before him, it disappeared into ash, leaving only its stone behind. This strange object was exceptionally large compared to the others; it was half the size of his stature.

Did this mean something? Did the size of this crystal-like object matter? If he was frank, he really didn't care, he was summoned here to destroy all beasts and that's exactly what he did. Now to find a lamp and return to the dream, where he would become a great one.

"WOOHOOO! Nice one stranger!" The hunter slowly turned his gaze to look upon a group of people who had gathered on a ledge above him. More hunters? No, they didn't look geared up for the job, but his eyes stopped on the blue haired one of the group.

She was different, he could see something, it was familiar yet different. Perhaps it was simply the lesser of the beast he thought it to be, but why would it take the form of a human. Was it perhaps trapped within, just like the power that festered throughout his whole body but could not break free.

"Great One?" He had simply whispered it, but she reacted, she had heard him and she seemed to acknowledge the term. He let out a small grunt, he simply wasn't in the best of shape to fight something of that caliber. But it sure wouldn't stop him from slaying every last one of them, he had a lot more work to do here than he taught!

A/N: Well here's something I've decided to do to practice writing, not sure if I'll continue this on or not but sure we'll see what way the wind blows.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Not in Yharnam Anymore!

It was impossible, how could one man take down that beast Antares. Last time it had taken a full party to seal the creature of her nightmares and yet this stranger managed to tear through it as if the beast was made of paper. It didn't make sense, no one could possibly be this strong, to the point they could handle Antares as if it were child's play.

"WOOO HOO!" Leone's cheer brought the goddess out of her musings. "Now that was something else! Such skill and strength for an adventurer!" It was easy to see that the Amazonian warrior was very excited, though you could also see her become fidgety until she slumped her shoulders in defeat. "I'm all fired up and there's no monsters to punch." Even with her playful annoyance of not getting to fight, it didn't wipe away the intense atmosphere that lingered in the air.

Artemis kept her eyes on this powerful being before them, her guard fully up. She could tell her children had relaxed a great deal at seeing the monster they had to face being taken care of easily. The destroyer of Antares had turned his attention to them as soon as Leone had shouted out her excitement, however his eyes focused on her over the rest.

His eyes where haunting to look at, a mortal that had seen things no mortal should. He had an aura of death that seemed to radiate of him in waves, it was slightly overwhelming.

"Great One?"

It was only a whisper, but it reached her ears. A dread washed over her, she had heard that term used before, when tree almighty creatures made their way into this world, followed by a dying man. These beasts had caused mass genocide of civilizations all around the world. Adventures from every Familia stood up to face them, they succeeded in killing two of the creatures with heavy loses. However, the third had escaped and caused the destruction of entire Gods and their adventurers.

The dying man had claimed them to be Gods. Great Ones he had called them, beings that had transcended humanity. They appeared hundreds of years ago and only the One Eyed Black Dragon still remained, hiding itself away somewhere on the surface.

But the title of 'Great One' was simply know among the gods, it never had been allowed to escape their circle, if humanity knew creatures on the levels of gods existed, panic would ensue. But if this man was here, did that mean more of those monstrous creatures had made their way as well?

The thought of something like that was horrifying. So many lives would be lost!

"He needs attention, his injures look fatal." Vera brought her back to action, she had simply been staring at the powerful stranger.

Leone was the first to act jumping form the high ground they had. "Let's go say hello!" Artemis couldn't help the smile that made its way onto her features. The Amazonian beauty threw caution to the wind as she began to free fall down to mysterious monster slayer. Sometimes she envied how simple her train of thought was, she never truly looked at the bigger picture.

"I guess we should follow suit." With that she jumped as well, followed by her children.

**\- Is It Okay For A Hunter To Give Up On The Hunt? -**

"Hey there, mister bloody! Great job taking down Antares!" He gave the dark-skinned woman a questionable look. Why was she so cheerful? They were in dungeon, surrounded by the blood and guts of beasts. Yet she looked like nothing bothered her, like this was a common occurrence. In fact, if he was correct, he could swear he sees excitement in her eyes.

Was it excitement? Was that the right way to describe her? He wasn't used to such looks, everywhere in Yharnam he went depression, fear and madness was all he ever encountered. Though he wouldn't lie, it was nice to see someone look healthy and not consumed by the blood. However, he kept up his guard, after all he could see the Great One was coming down with the rest of her minions. It still was unsettling to see a Great One in a human body, though he wasn't one to talk currently.

"Jeez! Easy their pal, all the monsters and dead. We came to help! Not that you actually needed it!" She had picked up on his aggression, not surprising, it's probably the only thing he knew how to give off. Though he could detect a hint of her being impressed from how she spoke the last part. But, the help part was what stood out the most.

Where all the people here apart from the Great One hunters? No, it wasn't possible, there clothing suggested otherwise, especially the one that was currently speaking to him, she barely had any clothes on her at all. He honestly couldn't tell what they were. The only one he could honestly make out was a brown-haired female that was dressed up in proper armor, it was possible that she was a knight.

He let out a rough grunt before lowering his guard ever so slightly. He was no man's fool, they may say they are here to help, but for the time being he would remain upmost cautious. The woman looked a little miffed that he hadn't lowered his defenses, she looked ready to speak up again, most likely to insist upon their so-called aid. However, the Great One beat her to the chase.

"I thank you adventurer for the slaying of Antares." Adventurer? That was definitely a new one. He felt insulted at the insinuation, he was no trill seeker, he did not seek enjoyment in what he did. It was a job of the hunter to slay beasts, even if they had to kill friends turned mad by the blood. Such a plague like beast hood could not be allowed to spread outside of Yharnam. "May I ask what your name is?"

A name? What was his name? Did a name really matter, he was a hunter and nothing else, a few letters that made a word mean little to nothing in the grand scheme of things. He tried to scavenge his mind for what he had once been called, but nothing came up. Though, it would be unpolite to answer such a question. A name did come to mind form a strange book he had come across during his hunt, the name of the one who wrote said book was "Librom." His voice sounded hoarse; it had been awhile since he had spoken.

"Well adventurer Librom, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Goddess Artemis and this is my Familia." She spoke proper, though he was surprised a Great One could speak at all. She called herself a Goddess, it rubbed him the wrong way. Though he had no idea what a Familia was, but if he was to hazard a guess it would be that everyone else here was in servitude to her. Nothing more than play things to the Great One.

Unlike the dark-skinned woman the rest where tense and on edge. Ready to protect their God at a moment's notice. "Come on guys, we're all friends here!" The first one to engage in conversation with him tried to defuse the tension stepping between him and her group. "Besides Aatares is dead! We should be celebrating!"

She seemed to be winning over her party, yet their uncertain looks lingered on him. She turned her head to the hunter. "Isn't that right Librom?" He let out a sigh, fighting now would be a risk on his part if the Great One decided to show her true form. He really needed to fix himself up. He placed the burial blade on his back.

"Yes." Most of the hostility in the air seemed to disappear as some sort of agreement came between all.

"Well now that that is sorted, can we get out of here? Its filthy and I don't want to spend an age cleaning my gear!" It was the one in armor that spoke up she easily looked the youngest of everyone one here, early teens if he was to have a guess. Why would someone so young be fighting beasts?

"All right! Let's move out of here!" The red head was the one to speak up, her tone held professionalism and the sense of command.

**\- Is It Okay For A Hunter To Give Up On The Hunt? -**

Laughter rang out into the night sky, as the Familia of Artemis began to party at where they had set up camp. They were throwing around drink and helping themselves to all the food they had brought. The hunter, now known as Librom was glad to get away from them to clean himself of the blood that stained him, as well as to get a little bit of peace to himself, even if he could still hear them loud and clear from the small lake, they were camping near.

He had made sure to clean his attire before deviling into the waters himself, the clear as crystal water soon began to ooze crimson as the blood from his body mixed with the soothing waters, he found himself in. His gaze drifted up to lock onto the pale moon.

He was confused.

Upon exiting the dungeon the chalice had sent him too, he had begun to realize he was no longer in Yharnam, and that he was most likely no longer under the effect of the contract he made, no longer attached to the dream. At first, he thought he had arisen in the waking world. While part of that is most definitely true, upon the dark-skinned woman Leone speaking to him, he knew that wherever he was, it was not his world.

Perhaps this was another realm of existence, much like the nightmare realm where he had butchered Amygdala. A world filled with beasts that seemingly came from nowhere. He now thought upon the blue haired Great One and her adventurers.

The only one that actually talked to him would be the dark-skinned one named Leone, she seemed to have a great deal of energy and came from a race of warriors known as the Amazons. She had pestered him about his strength, wondering how strong he was and how he got so strong to slay a whole nest of monsters along with the beast that they had named Antares. He had politely declined to answer her, when she realized she wouldn't get much from him she began to introduce her comrades.

There captain was the red haired Rethusa. Everyone seemed to treat her with the highest regard, and from what he heard from Leone she was a level 5. He wasn't sure whether that was impressive or not, 5 seemed like a low number if he was to be honest. But the look of admiration in the Amazon's eyes suggested it was a big deal.

Next where the two human figures that where practically human, except for pointy ears and exceptional pale skin. The sliver haired one went by the name of Vera. She had given him a magical liquid that could cure wounds, while it wasn't as effective as a bloodvile, it did amazing work non the less. The smaller of the two with short black hair was known as Klara. They were most likely an evolved species of human if he was to hazard a guess. They both carried staffs as their weapons, they didn't look like they would be too effective against beasts.

The youngest of the bunch and the only one that wore armor was Gabriella. She had short brown hair and wielded a short sword and shield. Why she used a shield he didn't know, they didn't fare well in battles against beasts, he had learned that the hard way.

A small group of six, he doubted they would have survived the beasts in that dungeon had they gone in before he arrived. They would most likely be dead.

He was brought out of his morbid thoughts by the arrival of the Great One. From what he had witness so far, her Familia seemed to adore her and she showed good attention to them. It was strange how much she interacted with them, acted as if they were equals. No Great One would lower themselves to that of a mortal. It would defeat the purpose of being a Great One.

"May we have a talk?" Her voice held a serious tone, yet he could not detect any ill will to him from her. So, he gave a small grunt for her to continue. She took a seat on a rather large stone. "I must ask, did any of those monsters you call Great Ones end up with you here?"

This gained his attention; however, he didn't let it show on him, he simply continued to wash the muck, grime and blood from his skin. But she was acting like she didn't know of great ones, maybe she wasn't one and was simply a lesser being with traits comparable to that of a Great One. "I came here by myself."

Artemis wasn't happy with this situation; it was obvious the man before her wasn't fond of speaking and it would lead to this conversation being dragged out between the two. She was surprised by the sheer numberof scars that made home on his body, some looked beyond fatal. "How did you get here?"

"Chalice." She couldn't help the weird look she gave him. A chalice. That made absolutely no sense.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't quite follow, could you expand upon that?" He slowly turned his gaze to her. His deep brown eyes where easily one of his strongest features. They were hardened and seemed to see beyond what normal mortals could, but she could see a tiny shimmer of compassion, hidden with the depts of them.

Librom let a sigh escape his lips, even with how little this conversation was, it was affirming he wasn't where he belonged, had he really slipped into another realm? If he hadn't, surly this woman who claimed to be a God would know of Chalice dungeons. "Chalice Dungeons. They bring one to the ruins under Yharnam. The tombs of the Gods."

The goddess noticed how his tone switched, he sounded tired and while his voice still sounded horse, a subtle softness had entered it. However, what he explained brought up more questions than they answered. None of what he said made sense. There was no tomb for Gods, the simply went back to the divine realm. There was no place that existed with the name of Yharnam as far as she knew and chalices bringing people to dungeons just sounded ludicrous.

She could tell he wasn't lying; she's had since the existence of time to learn to read people and perceive hints when one would try to hide something. "Is that so? I presume these Great Ones are your Gods?"

"To some." She couldn't imagine why humans would consider such beasts Gods. It baffled her to no end, though from his answer she could tell her new acquittance wasn't fond of the creatures.

"I take it you do not see them as Gods then?" As she asked this question Librom decided to arise from his bath, giving her a full view of all he had to offer. Not something she expected at all, it made her slightly uncomfortable. One's body should be for themselves, not for gaping eyes. She quickly averted her gaze from him, expecting him to get dressed. However, from the corner of her eyes she could see he had begun to dress himself in his dark clothing.

As he began to cover his naked body he responded. "They are nothing more than beasts." As he spoke, she adjusted herself to have her back to him, so unbecoming of a man to be so indecent, especially before a god.

"Do they have any weaknesses?" This was a good chance to gain insight on taking out the One Eyed Black Dragon, perhaps all these Great One's had flaws.

"So, you're not a Great One?" Insulted was not the word, she could feel a small portion of rage building up in her and she couldn't help her voice rising.

"How dare you compare me to one of those monstrosities!" She turned around to face him, casting her heated gaze on the mysterious fellow. He simply continued to warp himself in his clothes, paying her outburst no heed in the slightest. It boiled her blood that he had no reaction to her, acting as if everything was okay and that his insult wasn't hurtful in anyway. To be lumped in with such fiends of destruction.

"Then there must be a Great One you need hunting?" Her anger halted at his question.

"Are you suggestion that you could kill a Great One?" She was dumbstruck, hundreds of adventurers had fallen to the tree that had made their way into the world, she couldn't believe the audacity of this strange adventurer.

"I am." Simple and straight to the point, he really wasn't a conversationalist.

"Are you so arrogant to believe that you could kill one on your own! Even when dozens upon dozens of adventurers where not enough to stop them." He was strong, there was no question of that, but she had witnessed the bloodbath these Great Ones had caused from the heavens.

He didn't answer. He simply began to put on his clean, but wet clothes. "You'd simply throw your life away, simple to keep up a façade that your strong?" She had seen it many of times, adventurers thinking there the next big thing. Only to end up dead. "What about your Familia, you can't just abandon them."

He continued to dress, not batting an eye at her stern tone. "It's a beast. I hunt them." He made it sound so simple.

"It will kill you. A single adventurer will not succeed." She didn't know why she was pleading so adamantly, perhaps it was the dept of gratitude she felt towards him for taking care of Antares, all her children live to see another day. Perhaps his invaluable knowledge on these Great Ones could finally bring an end to that cursed Black Dragon. Or maybe it was his strength, to lose someone who could do serious damage with a party of people.

"I am no adventurer." That stopped her right in her tracks, it wasn't possible. Someone of his power and skill had to be an adventurer, no mortal could reach his level without the aid of a God.

She let herself calm down slightly, she had let her emotions get the better of her. "Then what are you?"

He finished dressing up, placing his tri-cone hat on his head. "I am a hunter." Now dressed, he made his way over to sit beside her on the large stone, placing his gaze to the night sky above. "The old blood flows through my veins."

"Old blood?"

He turned his head to her, eyes locking onto each other. "The blood of the Great Ones."

Was this the reason he was so confident, is this what made him so strong that he was able to wipe out Antares with ease. Was simply having the blood of these so-called Great Ones enough to improve one's abilities so much. Though she decided to stop trying to argue her point, she knew she wouldn't get very far.

She let out a small laugh. "You're a strange one hunter." It really was an absurd situation. Two beings chatting from completely different realms, with completely different understandings of the world. "You truly are not from this world?" It wasn't a question that needed answering, more so something to say in order to have them on the same page.

He let out a grunt and the two simply sat in silence for a short while, eyes locked onto the stars above them. "So if you're not a Great One. What exactly are you?" He truly believed her to be one of those monsters, but why? It was something she could ask him another time; it was only fair now that she answered him now.

"I am a God. We Gods decided to come to the surface to spend time with our children rather than watching from afar." That was the simple gist of it, she had a feeling that Librom wasn't a fan of long-winded explanations.

"Is this your true form?" an odd question if she did say so herself, though when the Gods first came down to the surface, they were questioned due to their appearance. Most people seemed to imagine Gods as beings bigger than life.

"Yes, we Gods are really not that different from mortals." A warm smile graced her lips, even though she had given up her divine powers to live amongst her children, she would never regret it. Yet again, another silence fell upon the two, only the sound of her Familia enjoying themselves not too far away.

"Do you know where these Great Ones are?"

She shook her head from side to side as she answered. "No. It's been in hiding for years now somewhere on the surface. There hasn't been a trace to its whereabouts since." He contemplated her words for a few seconds, before pulling up a piece of cloth over the bridge of his nose, masking the lower portion of his visage. He slowly rose from his sitting position and began to walk off, away from their encampment. "Where are you going?"

He stopped in his tracks, turning on his heel to face her. He bowed in a gentlemanly fashion. "I thank you for your medical remedies, as well as your knowledge you bestowed upon me." He straightened himself up. "But I must hunt this Great One." He turned to make his leave.

"Wait!" She jumped of her stone seat and began to make her way towards him. "Come with us to Orario. We can compensate you for your work and it would be the best place to learn about this Great One. There are more Gods there that might have some useful information for you."

She couldn't allow him to disappear off on his own, the Gods needed to be informed of his arrival and it would be easier if he was present. Also, she had seen how her children reacted to him. While most of them are cautious of him, there was no doubt that this hunter had ignited a fire in them to improve and go beyond their limits.

If he accompanied them perhaps they could pick up a thing or two and maybe Librom might learn to relax and confide within them. She waited for him to make his answer, it didn't take long and all he gave was a simple nod. "Then let us return to the festivities."

With that the two began their small trek back to the camp.

**\- Is It Okay For A Hunter To Give Up On The Hunt? -**

Rethusa was intrigued by their new acquaintance, she was surprised to see her Goddess go off to have a chat with him. She never really took that much of an interest in the opposite gender, she didn't trust them, she barely tolerated the male Gods. So if she was willing to give her attention to this mystery man Librom then so would she.

His strength was also something to behold, it made her feel truly inadequate. He soloed a whole nest of powerful monsters and finished of one of the most power beasts on the surface with one bloody arm. That kind of power was beyond anything she ever heard an adventurer doing. He at least needed to be at level 7. She needed to figure out how he did it, how far do you need to go to get to that level.

She also couldn't help the small tint of jealousy that stirred within her. Instead of celebrating the defeat of the monster that had plagued the Familia of Artemis, she went to talk to the guy who did the slaying of said monster immediately and then they came back together from where he had been bathing.

It wasn't fair, she never had the opportunity to bathe near her Goddess in the years she served her and this practically mute male gets that honor before her. She really wanted to give him a good solid punch to the face. She was glad to see the two split as they reached the camp. Librom going to sit off in a corner by himself, only soon to be pestered by their local Amazonian warrior who was throwing down the liquor at an unhealthy fast paced for any living being.

While she wanted to spend more time with Artemis, she decided to join the group of two to see if she could learn something. As she approached, she could see Leone happy that she had convinced their guest to join in drink. "Do you mind if I join?"

Leone quickly jumped up, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into a seat next to her. "Rethussssaaaa! The night is young and we have so much to drink toooo get thrrrewww!" She knew well the woman was a light weight when it came to drink, but it still surprised her how quickly she could lose herself. "Mr. Bloody ere won't talk to me! Thinkin he all cool and what not for bein the stwong silent type." She couldn't help the giggle that surfaced from her. She truly did love Leone, the women's joy and energy was infectious. However, she was a handful.

Yet as she chatted with her through the night, with Librom only chiming in when push came to shove, it wasn't to long before Leone simply passed out. The captain of the Artemis Familia made sure to keep a close eye on her incase her alcoholic beverages decided to come back up.

"Your friend is quite amusing." Did she detect emotion from his voice, that's a first, he had been so straight in all his answers up until now that she had felt he didn't really like them. Though the drink could be getting to him as well.

"She a bundle of energy that's for sure, she always looks on the bright side of life." She shot him a slightly shrewd look. "You could have helped out you know, if you had joined in on our little conversation, she might not have consumed so much."

He let out a little chuckle. "I disagree. I believe if I had engaged in the conversation it would have raised her excitement." A coy smile graced his lips, in all honesty she didn't think she could disagree with that.

"Perhaps your right." A pleasant silence fell between them as the savored their drinks, unlike their passed-out drinking companion who was letting out soft snores.

"I hope you don't consider this rude. However, I was wondering what Familia you were a part of?" She could tell he wasn't one to talk about himself much, but she couldn't help her curiosity on the matter. She should have heard of this man sitting before her due to his power, there weren't many around who could claim to be as strong as him.

"I am part of no Familia." There was probably a large stupid look on her face currently, she did not expect that answer at all. Did his Familia and God get killed? No that didn't make sense, once your God died your divine blessing they bestowed on you ceased to exist.

She leaned forward, a current of eagerness shooting through her body. Was it possible to grow stronger without the aid of the God? If so, then would it be possible to combine the method to reach higher levels beyond 5 for her. "How did you gain such strength?"

He was silent for a short while, seemingly gathering his thoughts to answer her question. "Lady Rethusa. This not strength." There was a deeper meaning behind his words, yet she couldn't comprehend them. She really wanted to ask more on the subject, but she felt that for now that topic had come to a close.

"So what are your plans for tomorrow, mister Librom?" She carefully poured more liquid courage into their mugs, not wanting to spill any. Gods knows if Gabriella heard her doing so, the young teen would scold her for being messy.

"I plan to accompany your party to Orario." Well that definitely gave time for her to figure out his power.

She raised her mug to him. "To our Travels!"

He followed in suit with his mug. "To the hunt."

The two clinked there mugs together.

**\- Is It Okay For A Hunter To Give Up On The Hunt? -**

The hunter sat beside the dying fire; his new acquaintances having retired for the night. He could tell the God was still awake, most likely to keep an eye on him. He was unsure of so much at this moment. He was lost in some sort of realm that held new types of beast, they were no real concern to him, though they could still cause untold damage if not taken care off.

He also had to find this Great One and slay it. He could not allow it to live. But apart from that what was he to do? For too long had he simply been killing beasts one moment after another, never stopping, always on the search for his next prey. Yet here he was, just like when he had defeated the celestial Great One, resting. In a tranquil environment.

He had forgot how it felt to truly interact with another person, he would dare say he enjoyed himself, even if he didn't partake that much. He could tell this world was a great deal different, everything looked more vibrant and filled to the brim with life. One odd thing was how attractive the females where. He could honestly say the put every woman in Yharnam to shame, it was a little weird how beautifully they were, especially if they were warriors. Not a single mark of battle could be seen on them. Or perhaps their substitute for bloodviles simply cured everything.

He shook his head lightly to rid himself of such thoughts. He couldn't allow himself to lose sight of his objective, he was beyond returning to humanity, as soon as he had old blood injected into him, he knew he could never return to himself before the hunt.

The sun began to slowly rise from beyond the horizon. He may have awoken in a new waking world, but a hunter's job would always remain the same no matter where they ended up. He would continue the hunt, until no beast remained.

A/N: Well didn't expect to get this out so soon. However, became quite sick which gave me an awful amount of time.

So here's chapter 2, thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed there big motivators to write. The hunters name is a reference to another game and I'm interested to see if any will be able to guess it.

Not sure when the next chapter will be, but hopefully sometime next month!


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